Friday, June 24, 2016

They say you should never judge a book
by it's cover, but that's exactly what I did when it came to TheAll-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. And
why not? The cover was done up in bright colors featuring a
pleasant, old time drawing of cute girls on roller skates pumping
gas. And with Fannie Flagg as the author, what could possibly go
wrong?

Things started well enough with this
novel which opened with Mrs. Sookie Poole trying to deal with her
insufferable, domineering mother. Nicked named “The Winged
Victory,” Sookie's mother, Lenore, should have been hysterical.
Unfortunately, that's where the good times ended for me. Lenore
turned out to be more annoying than funny, so I was happy when the
story revealed that Sookie had secretly been adopted.

The plot then shifts back to 1939 when
the Jurdabralinski family opened Wink's Phillip's 66 in Pulaski,
Wisconsin. When the U.S. Enters World War 11 after the bombing at
Pearl Harbor, Wink, the only eligible male in the Jurdabralinski
family, goes off to serve as a pilot. His sister, Fritzi, has also
learned to fly, but she stays behind to help her sisters run the gas
station.

Fritzi goes on to join the WASP program
which involves female pilots who are not commissioned in the Armed
Services, but who work ferrying planes from the factory to the army
bases for the men to fly. Fritzi's other sisters eventually join her
in the WASP program and the reader gets a behind-the-scenes look at a
system which paved the way for future female pilots.

I enjoyed the history lesson, but not
the story itself. It seemed disjointed as it ping-ponged back and
forth between the Jurdabralinkski family's history and Sookie's
desire to know who her real mother was. I won't spoil the outcome,
but that too was a bit disappointing, even though it did feature an
unexpected twist.

I have no doubt that Fannie Flagg is a
truly gifted author. In fact, Fried Green Tomatoes at the
Whistle-stop Cafe was
one of my favorite books. I can remembers laughing out loud as I
read this novel, so I was sadly disappointed by TheAll-Girl
Filling Station's Last Reunion.

I awarded two stars to TheAll-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion on my Goodreads page

Sunday, June 12, 2016

I've
long been familiar with the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his
infamous character, Sherlock Holmes. What caught me off guard is
learning this British author had penned a mystery called A Study
in Scarlet which made numerous references to the LDS Church and
Brigham Young
https://www.amazon.com/Study-Scarlet-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/1599866749

I did a
little research and learned this short story was the first Sherlock
Holmes mystery. My initial interest was related to the author's
references to the Salt Lake Valley and the LDS Church. I was
astounded to discover that Brigham Young was named in this story, and
portrayed as a bit of a dictator who would smite any opponent or
apostate who he viewed as a threat to the community he established in
Utah.

The
actual plot of A Study in Scarlet involved a man who was
seeking revenge against the LDS Church for forcing a young woman into
a marriage against her will, and murdering the man who raised her
when he tried to object. The killers eventually left the LDS Church
and wound up in England. This is where the killer takes his revenge.

Although
this story is very old, it still retained my interest, and not just
due to the historical ties to Utah. I rewarded A Study in Scarlet
three out of five stars on my Goodreads Page

After suffering from a rare
illness, Dr. Alexander went into a coma that essentially shut down
the part of the brain that makes us human. During that period, Dr.
Alexander had some very vivid encounters which seem to support the
stories told by others who had near death experiences

What made this account
especially unique is that Dr. Alexander explains his encounters with
the Divine in scientific terms. Originally a doubter of many near
death accounts, Dr. Alexander explains that we really do have a soul
which lives on after our physical body has perished. The best news
is, Dr. Alexander's account seems to confirm there really is a loving
God who cares very deeply for each person.

Dr. Alexander's take away
from his experience reveals some very comforting thoughts such as
there is a God who truly loves us, and we can do no wrong. His tale
was told in very practical terms with a lot of science to back up
what was happening in the physical realm while Dr. Alexander was in
the spiritual domain.

I listened to Proof of
Heaven as an audiobook. Typically, most authors aren't very
skilled when it comes to narration, but Dr. Alexander is a happy
exception. In fact, this story was made all the better by having the
account come directly from the source.

Due to the interesting story
written and outstanding narration, I am awarding Proof of Heaven
by Dr. Eben Alexander a rare five out of five stars on my Goodreads
Page

About Me

Adele
Park is an Audie Award Winning Author, Producer and Editor. Park
worked as a TV and radio reporter, news anchor and on-air personality
for more than 20 years. In 2008, Park formed Straight to Audio
Productions L.L.C. and opened a recording studio in St. George, Utah.